Subproject 03:
Training the trainers and teachers to implement the program of learning English
Using the “Magic Book” –
3rd year primary class
Marina Mattheoudaki (Assistant Professor)
&
Thomais Alexiou (Lecturer)
● Video watching of introduction techniques; Reflection
● Video watching of presentation techniques; Reflection
● Video watching of practice techniques; Reflection
● Models of teaching practice
● Tips and suggestions
2
Organisation of the lesson
● Each unit includes 3 lessons
● All lessons have the same structure
● Each lesson is story-based
● Each story is followed by a number of activities
● There is no pre-teaching of vocabulary
3
Workshop
Activity 1
Watch the video techniques on Video #1.
4
Introduction techniques
● Brainstorming to elicit and expand children’s schematic knowledge about
the topic/concept (fruit, vegetables – whatever they know related to this
topic) with the use of realia, flashcards, objects, etc.
● Presentation of the topic: what do you have for breakfast?
● Establish cross-curricular links (e.g. with Triviza’s story – food and hygiene –
heroes like Pinocchio, the Beauty and the Beast, Aesop’s fables, fairytales,
etc.)
5
Activity 2
Presentation techniques
Watch the Video excerpt (#2),
identify any of the following presentation techniques and
tick them.
6
Presentation techniques
● Listening to the text with their books closed (once ot twice); dramatization
on the part of the teacher (use of body language and gestures, etc.)
● Learners listen to the story with books open (2 or 3 times) and follow the
story; This facilitates decoding of language.
● Teacher puts on board flashcards from the text in a random order; learners
are required to stand up and put them in order while listening to the text.
7
Activity 3
Practising techniques
Watch the video excerpt (Video #3),
identify any of the following practising techniques and
tick them.
8
Practising the language
● Teacher acts out the text by using visual aids and body language and
pointing to the pictures in the book.
● Teacher asks learners to identify particular lexical items in the text (e.g.
teeth-1st voc exercise can be used here).
● Teacher puts the flashcards of the story and provides captions for each
picture: learners are given the captions and are required to match them
with the pictures on board (without listening to the text and without
reading it from the book).
9
Practising the language
● If the teacher wishes to, s/he may involve all learners in reading aloud the
text but by giving them a purpose, e.g., asking them to play a role, or
organising a chorus reading once loud, once in a low voice, only boys, only
girls, rap style, hip hop style, etc.
● Learners start acting out the dialogue in groups.
10
Tips and suggestions: Teaching the skills
● Skills at this age are presented/practised in the following order:
Listening/reading/speaking/writing
● Listening is prior to reading or speaking; Children should listen to the text
as many times as they think necessary (2, 3, 4 times) before they start
producing (either writing or speaking).
11
Tips and suggestions: How to do the activities
● Activities on lexical chunks: we don’t translate the chunks but we make
sure that adequate practice has been provided before in order for children
to acquire them.
● Most of the activities can be done in pairs; Few can also be done in groups.
Encourage pair-working instead of individual.
● We NEVER translate the songs and we don’t explain them; we act them
out.
12
13
14
Tips and suggestions:Tasks and activities
● Activity a: It’s a task and not a language activity. The end result of the task
will actually indicate the successful comprehension.
● Activity b: This is a task as well. This task might be carried out by using
extra material and by making it more interactive and interesting for
learners.
15
16
Watch an example which elaborates on the particular task (Video #4).
17
Unit 7: Lesson 2
The lesson starts with a song
Step 1: Introduction
● Teacher starts by eliciting learners’ opinions about the pictures – most of the
vocabulary items are already known (recycling of previous knowledge).
Step 2: Presentation
● Learners listen to the song – this can be acted out and dramatized by the teacher to
help understanding.
● The 2nd and 3rd time learners can copy the teacher and start miming the actions.
Step 3: Practising
● Further listening and singing by taking roles and singing the corresponding lines;
Afterwards, they may reverse roles.
● Then, learners are ready to do the matching or pointing to corresponding pictures
● Elaboration of vocabulary for further practice: Take out the vocabulary items and ask
them to put them in the correct space in the song.
● Mix the verses / sentences and ask them to put them in the correct order as they listen
to the Cd.
18
Dictation?
● We don’t encourage dictation in the traditional way
● If teachers insist on assigning such activities; 4-6 words or 2-3 lexical
chunks
● Graded dictation and peer correction
19
We don’t…
● Pre-teach vocabulary items out of context
● Drill without a purpose
● Translate everything
● Teach grammar explicitly (e.g. Simple Present for Unit 5)
● Ask learners to read before the practice stage
20
We do…
● Encourage teachers to create supplementary materials
● Advise teachers to consult the teacher’s notes on PEAP site
● Recommend multisensory and imaginative activities
● Suggest regular recycling of lexical chunks
21
Children learn by head, hand and heart.
J. Pestalozzi
22
Το έργο υλοποιείται από το
ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΗ ΔΙΔΑΣΚΑΛΙΑ ΞΕΝΩΝ ΓΛΩΣΣΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ
ΓΛΩΣΣΟΜΑΘΕΙΑΣ
http://rcel.enl.uoa.gr
rcel@enl.uoa.gr